Claiming Callie: Part two (13 page)

He steps forward, finally closing the gap. The crowd roars once again, even louder than they had during the game. Excited screams call out amongst the cheering as Dean hands her the last flower, making t
he total thirty. She accepts it and glances up at him from hooded eyes.

Inside, he
’
s shaking, but he forces his hands steady and raises his left, needing to touch her, to feel her. He tucks her hair behind one ear and wonders if she can sense how nervous h
e is. How much he wants her.

 
Now or never.

 
Sliding his fingers over her cheekbone, he cups the side of her face with his palm and leans forward. His gaze falls to her mouth. Her incredible lips—which are parted just enough. He feels as if he might die if
he can
’
t taste them.

He ducks his head and brings his lips closer to hers, where he can feel the whisper of her breath against his skin. Shutting his eyes he erases the gap.

CALLIE

Just as his lips graze hers—just barely touching—Callie
turns and offers her cheek instead. As his mouth lightly brushes over her cheek, she whispers into his ear, “Maya
’
s here.” She tries to force as much enthusiasm in her words as possible. It takes all her energy just to do this one thing. Just to pretend.

H
er heart is pounding rapid fire in her chest, machine-gun fast. She feels lightheaded and wonders if he can hear her heartbeat. She hopes not and focuses on quieting her pulse.

His strong grip, the one that handles a ball with such skill, squeezes her wais
t, and the heat from his body shoots through her core like a shot of whiskey—strong and potent.

She swallows hard.

This should not feel like… How does it feel, exactly?

She tries to clear her head, but the fluttering in her stomach rises through her chest
to her throat and she can
’
t think.

Thrilling? Comforting? Hot? Like his arms are where I belong?

Gah!
She takes a deep breath, hoping the oxygen will somehow muddle such outlandish thoughts
. Snap out of it.

Her brain is on overdrive. It
’
s been too long
since she
’
s had a guy pursue her. This is obviously some repressed desire to have someone in her life.

She feels lightheaded, but manages to take a step back and forces a smile as she glances up at him. Spotting Maya among the faces in the crowd just befor
e Dean approached with his rose only served as a reminder. He
’
s in this for Maya. She knows this. But yet…

Why is he looking at me like that?

He gazes down at her. He
’
s breathing short, quick breaths—or is that her?—and the blue of his eyes turns cloudy wi
th emotion, a stormy blue-gray. His grin is gone, along with his playful expression, and the tension in his jaw is punctuated with the flexing of muscle behind it.

Crap, he
’
s probably upset with me. A kiss would
’
ve really solidified Operation Get the Girl.
I blew it.

She swallows, reminding herself that a lot of eyes are on them right now and that she needs to act normal—in love, in like, whatever…

“Sorry.” She
’
s leaning into him, pressing into his body and whispering in his ear so it looks as though they
’
r
e sharing something intimate. But speaking isn
’
t so easy when your body feels as if it
’
s caught fire.
What is happening to me?
“I got nerv—”

“It
’
s okay,” Dean shakes his head and saves her the embarrassment from fully admitting she choked. Regardless, she
hates the disappointment she sees and knowing that she let him down.

She clears her throat and forces her expression to brighten further. Putting her arms around him, she lamely gives him a hug. Letting her head fall onto the top of his chest just under th
e curve of his neck, she tries to relax the tension that seems to have taken over her entire body. His skin smells of sweat, cologne, and fresh air—a surprisingly enticing combination.

“You were amazing. Truly. You played an awesome game.” Then, leaning ba
ck, she peeks up at him to see disappointment replaced with a painful grimace.

“
Thanks,
” he says weakly.

What did I say now?
“What
’
s wrong?”

“A thorn,” he hisses. “There
’
s a thorn.”

“Oh.” Callie covers her mouth to stifle a giggle and takes a step back
from him to see that there is, indeed, one sharp thorn jabbing his chest.

“
Much better.
” He laughs, rubbing it.

Callie
’
s eyes follow the movement, and she becomes entranced with the way his muscles move. Lucky for her—or unlucky, depending on how you look
at it—she doesn
’
t have much time to ogle him before Emmett steps in.

“Okay, okay, break it up, you two lovebirds.” He practically runs into the two of them and places his arms over the tops of both of their shoulders. “Enough PDA. Hey,
good lookin
’
,” he sa
ys, nodding at Callie.

Callie glances
at Dean, who grins and rolls his eyes. “Hi, Emmett.”

“Are you coming with us to Hemingway
’
s after? You totally should, so that I don
’
t have to see this loser
’
s sad, dopey face anymore. That, and you could bring your
ridiculously sexy friend here,” he says as Jinny walks up to them.

Jinny crosses her arms over her chest. “Not a chance.”

“
See?
” Emmett places a hand over his heart. “Even her rejection is irresistible.”

Callie laughs, but the moment
’
s ruined when a flicke
r of movement behind them catches her eye. Maya.

Most of the crowd is finally leaving, but Maya
’
s still there. She dismounts the bleachers and comes to a stop at the bottom. Her body is facing them and she
’
s staring directly at Dean. Her black hair is styl
ed in her usual short pixie and the small diamond stud in her nose glints in the light as she moves her head. She wears dark skinny jeans tucked into knee-high brown boots paired with a slim leather jacket. She looks decidedly stylish. Pretty, yet edgy, Ca
llie decides.

She must be waiting for Dean.
And in the moment, Callie hates her
.
Their eyes meet across the court and Callie stares at her a moment, as if she
’
s in some kind of showdown, before she gets a grip and glances away.

This—Maya
’
s interest in Dean
—is what you want, what Dean wants. This is a good thing.

 
So, why doesn
’
t it feel like it?

Snap. Out. Of. It.

Callie grits her teeth and shakes her head, then gives Dean a playful shove. “I think you have someone waiting for you.” She nods toward Maya and watches as Dean glances at her, then turns back again. She hates that she wants him to blow Maya off. But she
knows how this ends. The way it was intended to from the very beginning, which is Dean with Maya, Callie with lighter debt, and all happy. Right?

Dean meets Callie
’
s gaze, so she smiles. Does what she needs to. “I
’
ll take a rain check and catch you guys ne
xt time. Looks like you have some other stuff you need to attend to.” She raises a brow, giving him the signal to use this moment to his advantage, and backs away.

“
Wait.
” He steps forward and reaches a hand out. “Callie, you don
’
t have to go. Stay. I
’
ll
shower and we
’
ll all go. It
’
ll be fun.”

“No. That
’
s okay, really. Have fun.” She winks and turns to leave the gym. Passing Maya, she tries to avoid eye contact, but slows her gait for Jinny to catch up. When she feels a warm hand grip her arm, she turns, e
xpecting to see her best friend. Instead, she’s staring straight into the mesmerizing green eyes of what feels like her nemesis.

“Maya.”

Maya’s eyes search hers a moment before she speaks. “What are you doing with him?”